June is Bustin’ Out all Over!

Can someone please explain where this year has gone? Almost half way through 2013 and thankfully we’ve hardly had time to catch our breath!  What’s even more amazing (apart from some glorious sunshine) is that this month sees our 3^rd Birthday!

As well as celebrating our birthday (rude not too!) June is busy with lots of lovely other things that we have planned!

Nicola Anne Designer Day

We are delighted that our most local, very talented, designer Nicola Anne will be joining us on Saturday 22^nd June along with her stunning new collection of wedding gowns for 2014 plus some favourites from previous collections.

We love having Nicola come into the shop as, not only is she a lovely lady who designs fabulous dresses, but she makes a great cup of tea and brings biscuits!  As always these events are very popular and there are only very limited appointments now available.

Lou Lou Designer Day

Our second Designer Event is being held on Saturday 29^th June when we will have in store an extended collection of bridal and bridesmaid dresses from Lou Lou.  With their signature vintage and retro styling it is always exciting to see what new ideas this talented British team have come up with.  Having seen some of their new collection at a recent trade show I don’t think we are going to be disappointed!

The Wedding Singer

One of the many firsts for us this year was being asked to sponsor a show – appropriately ‘The Wedding Singer’ – being staged by Leicester Amateur Operatic Society and we are thrilled to be associated with this talented group.

It’s been so exciting when we’ve been out & about and we see advertising for the production and our name appears (squeals of delight in Highcross Shopping Centre – not at all embarrassing!) The show is on at the Curve Theatre. Leicester from 25^th to 29^th June and we are really looking forward to going along to see the performance.

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Beat it! Cancer!

On Sunday 30^th June a ‘The Pink (Confetti) Ladies’ will be taking part in The Race for Life to raise much needed funds in the fight against cancer.  This horrible disease affects so many either personally or their friends and family and we all have our own reasons for taking part.  We are all training hard(!) as our husbands have agreed to greet us with a bottle (or two!) of champagne at the finishing line! We are hoping to raise as much as possible and donations can be made via our just giving page http://www.raceforlifesponsorme.org/pink-confetti

Happy Birthday to us!

It seems like the blink of an eye since we opened Pink Confetti on 18^th June 2010 however reflecting on the last 3 years we are astounded by what we’ve achieved and amazed at all the wonderful people we have met.

It’s been a great twelve months as we received top stockists awards from 2 of our suppliers and also The Wedding Industry Awards shortlisted us as one of the top Regional Bridal Boutiques (1 of only 4) in the East Midlands! This award is extra special in that it was voted for by our brides and we were blown away by the feedback received through this process.

To celebrate or 3^rd birthday we are asking all customers, old & new, to come and join us for a glass of pink fizz and birthday cake between 15^th and 22^nd June and as a thank you we are offering 10% off any purchase during our birthday week (a day just isn’t long enough!)

What Next?

This is also a great time for us to start planning for our next twelve months and we have lots of exciting ideas!  Plans are well underway for the relaunch of ‘Pink Confetti Parties’ with lots of lovely new handbags and fashion jewellery plus great benefits for hostesses.

From the autumn onwards we will start to receive our gorgeous new collections from all of our designers there are some amazing gowns and we can’t wait for them to arrive!

However because of this, we are planning our first ever ‘Sale Event’ at the shop to create some much needed space so there will be some real bargains to be had!  The event is on from Thursday 4^th to Saturday 6^th July – more details to follow!

We have already booked our places at the NEC National Wedding Show in October and both UK Wedding Shows at Excel, London and their Midlands event at Ricoh Arena both of which are in January next year!

Looks like it’s going to be another busy year – Fantastic!!

The Big Bridal Trend for 2014!

Last weekend we had an amazing time in London where we went along to two major bridal trade events – The White Gallery, in Battersea, and The London Bridal Show, at Olympia!

We went down to specifically see the 2014 collections from our existing designers but it’s great to see so many exhibitors, from all around the world, as this gives a real feel for what is changing in bridal design and what is likely to be the trend for the future.

Four of existing designers were at these shows – Nicola Anne, Donna Lee Designs, Diane Harbridge & Lou Lou – and as usual we were delighted with the beautiful collections they had to offer – it’s really difficult having to choose only a few! As you can see from the photos below (these styles will be available at Pink Confetti in the next few months) there is still a heavy vintage influence and lace still features strongly in many gowns.

Although bridal fashions change it does tend to be a slower process than on the high street and obviously lace fabrics have been increasingly popular especially since the Royal Wedding in 2011. However it was interesting last weekend to see how bridal styles appear to have been influenced by TV & film in particular Mr Selfridge, Downtown Abbey and Gatsby as there was a noticeable trend towards the styles of the early 1900’s.

This era introduced a step change in women’s fashion, moving away from the controlling corsets and layered petticoats of the Victorian age, and towards gowns that whilst still floor length were less structured, more slimline and incorporated a variety of embellishments including jewels, lace and feathers.

It was clear from the number of designers that had adopted this style as a large part of their collection that they believe that this will be the next big thing! There were some gorgeous gowns that epitomise glamour – sleek georgette covered in rhinestones, heavily beaded chiffon, drop waists, high necklines and detailed epaulettes all seemed to feature.

This era also seems to be influencing our accessory designers with more art deco inspired pieces and ornate hair creations. Bridal shoes have not escaped the trend with ‘Louis’ heels, button straps and T-bars all featuring heavily.

We are very excited about our new collections which will be starting to arrive from July onwards (we had cheated and ordered some a little earlier!) however the challenge will be to find space to show all these beautiful gowns and accessories off at their best.

Watch this space for details of our sale events – coming soon!!

Your shape, your style – Choosing the Wedding Dress that’s right for you!

You’re newly engaged and one of the first things you do will be to stock up on every bridal magazine you can find.  Flicking though these pages, or online, you will be bombarded with lots of beautiful wedding dress ideas  – all that little bit different – so where do you start to find the one for you?

It’s important that your dress reflects your style and personality but probably one of the most important things you will need to consider is your body shape.

We are often asked by brides-to-be if we could tell what style of dress would suit them as soon as they walked through the door and although we may have a thought in mind we are constantly surprised.  It goes to prove that there are no hard and fast rules about styles as it’s all about getting the proportions right for your height, size & shape.

As many people will tell you, you need to try on lots of different shapes and styles to find out what suits you and this is very true, however there are general guidelines which may help to make your search a little easier.

Your body Shape

Every woman’s figure is as individual as the lady herself!  Generally however ladies have similar traits so that they tend to fall into one of four categories.  We have attempted to describe these and give a guide to the style of dresses to compliment these body shapes.

 Hourglass

Arguably the body shape we all desire! With balanced, full bust and hips, well defined waist and often shapely legs this is the body shape which was epitomised by Hollywood screen sirens such as Marilyn Monroe and Sophia Loren and more recently Kate Winslet & Salma Hayek.

Most styles of wedding dress will suit this shape but consider showing off your curvaceous hips, full bust and small waist by wearing a fish tale gown to compliment your curves. A princess skirt would should also show off your small waist and a straight or curved neckline will accentuate your bust.

Some styles we have that we would suggest are:

Dolce by Nicola Anne

Diana by Diane Harbridge

Trudy Lee 25701 we call her Isis

Apple Shape

For those with a more rounded or apple body shape take the opportunity on your wedding day to make the best your curves by considering an A-line skirt to create balance with a larger bust and broader shoulders.  Choosing a design that has asymmetric pleating and no horizontal lines will add length and even out your figure. One of the world’s greatest inventions is the corset lace up back which is a great way to nip the waist in and create that hourglass silhouette. Some of our styles we maight suggest are:

Natalie by Donna Lee

Obsession by Nicola Anne

Trudy Lee 63002 we call her Freya

Pear Shape

A classic pear shape (like the fruit!) will have wider hips, bottom & thighs, smaller bust.  Some of worlds sexiest women are celebrated pear shapes such as Jennifer Lopez, Beyonce, Kelly Clarkson and Shakira.

Compliment and accentuate your small bust and curvaceous hips by having an embroidered, beaded or a lace bodice with a sweetheart or curved neckline to add shape.  A full princess or A-line skirt will cover or skim your hips to enhance your figure.  An empire line gown will lengthen the body and again, accentuate the bust however if you’re proud of your curves and you want to show them off don’t be afraid to try a fishtail gown, keeping the styling simple.

J’Adore by Nicola Anne

Bonita by Diane Harbridge

LB19 by Lou Lou we call her Daisy

 

Athletic or Rectangle Shape

An athletic or rectangular shaped body with very few curves will often have an undefined waist, narrower hips and small bust such as Keira Knightly, Cameron Diaz, Reese Witherspoon and Trinny Woodall.

As with the pear shape accentuate your smaller bust with a sweetheart or detail neckline and an embroidered, beaded or a lace bodice and add balance with a princess or A-line skirt. A corset lace back will nip the waist in to add shape and create an hourglass figure.  With more fitted styles consider adding a belt to create a waistline and emphasise your figure.  Consider drapes and detailed backs to add interest.

 

Dahlia by Donna Lee Designs

Laura by Diane Harbridge

A splash of Colour

The tradition of wearing white wedding gown is often credited to Queen Victoria in the 1840 prior to that any colour was acceptable (Black was very popular in Scandinavia!)

Over the last 50 years the traditional white gown has been replaced largely by Ivory or variations of this such as Diamond White, Cream, Champagne, Oyster, etc, however with a nod back to the 19^th century a greater variety of colour seems to be making a comeback with pink, peppermint green, lemon, black & red seen at recent bridal catwalk shows.

The colour of your gown is something to consider against your skin tone and the setting for your wedding.  It’s well worth trying on a variety of colours – as even within Ivory dresses there are so many slight variations

Something to think about!

• Once you have started trying dresses on you will get an idea of what style suits you so use the internet and magazines to get an idea of styles you like the look of.  Check out the Designers websites to see where your local stockist is.
• Your wedding dress is one of the most important dresses you’ll ever buy so don’t be pressurized into making a hasty decision.  We always tell our brides that if the dress is ‘the one’ it will still be ‘the one’ after they’ve tried on dozens more.
• Make sure you leave plenty of time to order the dress you love!  We recommend at least 6 months before the wedding but some suppliers may need longer than this so check it out!
• The experience you have when you’re looking for your dress should be a memory that you treasure forever so take people with you whose opinion you value but who will let you make the decision.   Choosing you dress is emotional journey, not a democratic vote, so don’t add confusion by being tempted to take too many friends & family with you!
• Everyone works to a budget and there are bargains to be had but think carefully before ordering your wedding dress off the internet.  Not only are these sellers breaking copyright law (the picture you see is usually the designers original, this is not the dress you will get) but you may find it’s a false economy as the quality of design, fabric and manufacture is often very poor.  We have heard of a couple of success stories using this route but this is far outweighed by the number of horror stories we hear and the number of alterations & remodeling we’ve done on these dresses.

Just some thoughts and ideas that will hopefully help you on your way and of course we at Pink Confetti would be delighted to help you in your search :o)

Happy Hunting!

Wow! What an amazing weekend!

It’s hard to believe that our debut appearance at the National Wedding Show is over!  After weeks of planning we felt prepared and ready for action as we turned up at the NEC on Thursday afternoon to set up!  We knew our stand was tiny (about the same size as our changing room in the shop!!) but we were still surprised at how little space we appeared to have in comparison to the massive amount of stuff we had brought with us.

So as with all best laid plans we had to rethink – however we were very pleased with the result!  !

We wanted to create an environment that mirrored the experience of the boutique and we certainly achieved that with every conceivable space filled with gorgeous shoes and lots of lovely sparkly goodies!

Although we have exhibited for the last couple of years at the UK Wedding Show, Ricoh Arena, we were still very nervous about the size and scale of the National Show, and standing out amongst all the beautiful displays and big names within the Boutique Area.  However we were very lucky to be able to showcase a selection of Nicola Anne’s 2013 ‘Vintage’ Collection and also the ‘SecretGarden’ Collection from Donna Lee Designs.  This includes ‘Heather’s Hope’ named after Donna’s mum and from which all sales proceeds will be donated to Breakthrough Breast Cancer.

The Friday morning started slowly with everyone making their way to the first Catwalk event which started 30 minutes after the show opened.  We were totally unprepared for the masses that hit the Boutique area once the show had finished and continued to do so all day!  However this was a small number in comparison to the volume of visitors on Saturday and Sunday.  We were delighted that so many people loved what we had to offer and at some points were asking for leaflets to take away as the stand was too busy to look around!

By the time it came to take down the stand and pack up on Sunday evening we were all buzzing although thoroughly exhausted, however, we had met so many wonderful people – both customers and other exhibitors that we are definitely looking at doing it again next year (must be mad!!).  As always these events wouldn’t be possible without the wonderful Pink Confetti Team – Michelle, Carol, Kirsty, Sue, Tracy and Alison – thank you just isn’t enough!

So where to now! 

We have several local wedding fairs planned and are looking forward to attending all these lovely venues and meeting lots more wonderful people.  You can come along and see us at:

Best Western Ullesthorpe Court – Sunday 14^th October

LutterworthTown   Hall – Sunday 21^st October

Catthorpe Manor – Sunday 4^th November

City Rooms, Leicester – Sunday 4^th November

We are also delighted to be part of the Winter Wonderland Wedding Show on Sunday 9^th December at HolywellPark, Loughborough, Leics.  This event promises to be a winter extravaganza and we’ve heard that even Santa may possibly pay a visit!

Designer Events

Alongside the wedding fairs we have two Designer Events planned with Nicola Anne joining us on Saturday 20^th October showing her new ‘Vintage’ collection for 2013!  This has been so popular that the day is virtually fully booked so we are extending our opening hours to make new appointments available!

We are very excited about welcoming Lou Lou for our designer weekend on 10^th & 11^th November showcasing their new bridal collection along with a selection of the bridesmaid designs.  Lou Lou specialise in creating gowns with a vintage, retro twist and this weekend has already attracted a lot of interest, so we are looking forward to a very busy event.

Only 75 sleeps until Christmas!

Although hard to believe that it’s nearly that time of year again we are once again planning some late night shopping events where there will be some great bargains to be had from our fashion handbags, shoes & jewellery ranges – watch this space or our Facebook page for details!

New Styles and Celebrations!

What an exhausting couple of days at the British Bridal Exhibition in Harrogate!  This is the one of the largest bridal trade fairs with suppliers attending from all over the world, so it really was difficult to know where to start – although the champagne bar seemed like a good idea (at the time)!

We must have one of the best jobs in the world – we get to go shopping for new wedding dresses, shoes & accessories, although not always as easy as it sounds as there is so much to choose from!

It was great to see the emerging trends for the 2013 collections and lace is definitely still big in bridal – not just in wedding dresses but on shoes and accessories!  The key trends we noticed for wedding dresses though are:

• Silhouettes – there was an abundance of fitted fishtail style gowns (in fact all those short-listed for the dress of the year fell into this category!) and the majority of these were made from a beautiful selection of lace and if not incorporated some form of lace in the detailing.  Check out these two designs we will be getting in from Nicola Anne which will keep us ‘bang on trend’!

 

• Back Detail – As straps and sleeves continue to feature heavily this has meant designers can be more creative with back detail on dresses (which is good as guests can spend a lot of time looking at this!).  Look out for lovely draped cowls (think Pippa!), peekaboo keyholes, bows, embroidery and lace insets.  From our existing designers we are especially loving the new ‘Dahlia’ dress by Donna Lee Designs with a draped satin cowl and lace inset and although we already have a couple in this category from Diane Harbridge (See below) we are very excited about ‘Hayley’ from her new collection which is a cowl back in ivory velvet!

• Peplums – Moving from the fashion catwalks this is probably one of the biggest new trends for 2013.  Great for creating a cinched in waist effect the overall silhouette is still long & sleek – so not for everyone!
• Vintage – continues to be popular and there was a great selection of tea-length dresses available and we loved Daisy from the new collection by Nicola Anne. However we were extremely impressed by the collection from Lou Lou – building on their success in retro glamour they have a selection of gorgeous ‘Grace Kelly’ inspired gowns and a range of co-ordinating lace jackets, coats and bolero’s. We are very excited about having their new collection in at Pink Confetti for their Designer Day on Saturday 10^th November.

So we ordered a few more new dresses!! Will worry about where we are going to put them nearer the time of their arrival although looking forward to the challenge – the first few could be available at Pink Confetti as early as next month!!

National Wedding Show
Now we’re back it’s all systems go on preparing for the National Wedding Show at the NEC on 5-7 October – which is only just over 2 weeks away – GULP!   We are all very excited (and not a little nervous) as this is the biggest event we have ever attended.

As usual we are full of big ideas so one of the biggest problems is remembering that we only have a little stand (2mx3m) – oh well like the shop we’ll be compact & bijou! Hopefully, we now know how to make the best of a small space!

If you are going along to the show please come along and say hello at stand J45 in the Boutique area – opposite the catwalk show.

The 2013 Wedding Industry Awards
It was lovely to get back from Harrogate and find out we had been nominated by one of our brides-to-be for The 2013 Wedding Industry Awards as Best Bridal Retailer – East Midlands – we were very surprised and proper chuffed!

We have been overwhelmed by the response to this and all the lovely comments we’ve received however, unfortunately, only brides that have used us for a wedding between 1.11.11 and 31.10.12 are eligible to vote.

We really are over the moon to have been nominated however it would be lovely to do well – fingers crossed & watch this space!